We’re excited to be giving away two copies of Angel Train by Elizabeth Smither to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
About Angel Train
From an award-winning author comes a volume of four stunning novellas, perfectly crafted by one of New Zealand’s most elegant wordsmiths.
Angel Train brings together four novellas on different themes and with very different central characters: a literary friendship between an English and New Zealand poet; a well-meaning Tasmanian highwayman and the DNA of righting wrongs; a fleeing French countess and, centuries later, the floundering marriage of an English actor and a lover of hydrangeas; and, in the final story, the mysterious goings-on observed by regular visitors to a town in the North Island’s Tongariro National Park. Together, they convey the poignancy and bravery, folly and purpose of the human condition from perspectives ranging across countries, eras, ages, genders and career paths. Each on its own offers a rich, fully created world.
The novella is a hybrid form that includes story, reminiscence, flights of fancy and wild imaginings; it has a power and shape of its own. In Elizabeth Smither’s hands it weaves a particular enchantment, combining the imaginative depth of a novel, the sharp observation of the short story and the wit and elegance of the poet’s craft. Full of curiosity and quiet insight, these are accessible, intriguing, beautifully wrought stories for readers of any genre..
Praise
‘I read Elizabeth Smither because she writes about wonderfully smart and complex women, offering sensitive insight into their domestic lives and relationships…and because in her books no-one is ordinary.’ – Louise O’Brien, Academy of NZ Literature
‘One of our most startling observers of the human condition, one of our most original and elegant wordsmiths.’ – The Spinoff
‘Read this rich quartet, and you’ll never again refer to anybody or any life as “just ordinary”.’– David Hill
About the Author
Elizabeth Smither’s work has won numerous awards, including the NZ Book Award for Poetry and the Montana NZ Book Award for Poetry. Her stories and poems have been published in journals throughout NZ, Australia, the US, France and the UK.
Elizabeth Smither has published 19 collections of poetry, six collections of short stories and six novels, as well as journals and memoirs.
She was the New Zealand poet laureate (2001–3) and was awarded an Hon.D Lit by Auckland University in 2004 and the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Poetry in 2008.
Her poetry collection Night Horse won the Ockham Book Award for Poetry in 2018. Her most recent short story collection, The Piano Girls (Quentin Wilson Publishing), was published in 2021. A new poetry collection, The Interview Rose, will be published by Auckland University Press in 2026. She lives in New Plymouth.
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Terms and conditions
You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
The competition closes on 21st January 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 22nd January 2026.
It is your responsibility to provide a correct New Zealand postal address for prize delivery. GrownUps is not responsible for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
GrownUps employees and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
By entering, you agree to GrownUps using your name on social media as a winner of the competition.
One entry per household.
The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
You must reside in New Zealand, as the prize can only be delivered within New Zealand.
You must be over 50 years of age to enter. Please ensure your membership details are up to date in your dashboard.
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